Just a weed

17 Jun 2013

In villages and towns across India Iv'e seen no one smoke marijuana, but as with Chinese food in American restaurants that came to be 50% meat, so has 'pot' roots been blown out of proportions.

I was also never offered marijuana by desis anywhere. In the tradition of 'guest is god', I would have been offered if any was around.

Where tourist arrive in masses, however, for 'smoking yourself 24/7' vacations, many locals too became daily smokers, but if you take a random bus beyond the big cities, you have a chance of only 1:10,000 to end up in such a destination.

Even though the smoking of the plant in Bhang is an ancient tradition with some sects of Hindu monks (Sadhus) to this day it is at the same time controlled by police throughout the general public. Yet, in India the fact is many illegal violations pass with just relatively small amout of bribe or right connections. So what IS the force that keeps Indian away from becoming a culture of daily weed smokers?

When I asked locals in northern India, the native habitat of Cannabis, how come it's not commonly used, they said it would harm a family reputation along with prospects of getting good mach making for their sons and daughters if even one of the members becomes a user. And of course, in Indian villages and towns secrets tend to spread sooner than later.

Indian treat Marijuana in equal or lesser in importance to other Ayurveda herbs and temple offerings. The simple proof is that it has little to none presence in traditional pharmacies, botanical gardens and markets.

Why in the west it keeps being campaigned and glorified as THE solution?

Obviously there are a stress/pain that remain with no built-in answer in our everyday lifestyle in either business or leisure environments.

Here, I came across a boy playing in the bush in northern India, where Cannabis is a native wild weed.